Edmonton Oilers Evan Bouchard shows elite skill during Oilers victory
Photo credit: Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports
Edmonton Oilers defenseman Evan Bouchard showed his elite talent as the Oilers won the game 4-3 in overtime with his heroics being a key part of the decision.
Zach Hyman in overtime!
The scene began as the Oilers had iced the puck that the Blackhawks allowed the team to do which brought the puck back in their zone but still had fresh skaters with Leon Draisaitl, Connor McDavid and Evan Bouchard.
Bouchard skills on full display with stretch pass
Moments later, Bouchard attempted another stretch pass in which the Blackhawks had too many men on the ice where they had their power play.
After a couple of cycles, Bouchard had the puck on the blue line passed it off to McDavid and then with a great set play Zach Hyman won the game for the Oilers.
"Evan Bouchard thinks the game miles better than any other Oilers defenseman."
It seems that Bouchard has begun to heat up and prime himself for the playoffs as the team has turned itself around again and has begun to win more hockey games prior to the Four Nations face off tournament.
Being a contract year, Bouchard is attempting to turn his season around and make the case that he deserves over $10 million a season after an incredible year he had last year.
Oilers turnaround has been helped by Bouchard
Over the past several games, his statistics have improved dramatically as he has played 54 games, scoring nine goals with 34 assists for 43 points and is now a + 22 with 23 minutes and 39 seconds of average ice time.
Evan Bouchard had a pair of assists last night and sits 7th in scoring amongst defencemen. He ranks top-5 in a number of key areas including puck possession, scoring chances, completing outlet passes and how often he turns the puck over relative to how often he has it.
Just a few weeks ago, his plus minus was nowhere near that number and it appears that he has corrected his troubles and his appearing as the elite defenseman he was since being drafted by the Oilers.
General manager Stan Bowman will have his work cut out for him as he will try to find a number that makes sense for the team and makes sense for Bouchard.
The Oilers have one game remaining in their schedule before the break which they will be at home to take on the Colorado Avalanche. Game time will be 9:00 PM eastern on Feb 7th.
| POLL | ||
FEVRIER 6 | 325 ANSWERS Edmonton Oilers Evan Bouchard shows elite skill during Oilers victory Would you sign Oilers defenseman Evan Bouchard to a long term deal over $10 million per season? | ||
| Yes | 55 | 16.9 % |
| No | 270 | 83.1 % |
| List of polls | ||
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